A visit to Palau Macaya

If you're strolling along Passeig de Sant Joan you may be taken by surprise by the striking white coloured façade of a beautiful building located at number 108. That building is Palau Macaya, which was erected in the early 20th century by the great Catalan modernist architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch. It was named in honour of the man who commissioned it, Romà Macaya, a cotton importer who moved in there with his family. In fact, his wife Dolors and he settled on the main floor, while the upper floors were occupied by their two children. The property was taken over by the Caixa de Pensions in 1947, and after serving a variety of functions it's been used by the La Caixa Welfare Project since 2012 as a place to generate shared knowledge.

Although the building has undergone a number of modifications to adapt it to new needs over its century of existence it retains some of the original elements that were conceived and designed by Puig i Cadafalch and a visit is always worthwhile. The house can be visited with a company named Cases Singulars, who from now till December offer scheduled guided tours lasting an hour that will allow you to explore its architecture, as well as the history of the Macaya family and the architect. You will be able to wander around the lobby, the main floor, the mezzanine and the basement. The mezzanine floor was where the service lived, while the basement housed the kitchen.

Additional information and tickets are available from the following link. Groups of 15 or more people can book a specific day and time to visit the Palau.